Bonds & Surety› Find Construction Work to Bid › California
Public construction work in California is posted in four places: Caltrans (via the Caltrans Contracting Opportunities Portal) for highway and civil work, Cal eProcure for state agency projects, your local city, county, and school district bid boards, and SAM.gov for federal work. Most are free to search. To win the work you will usually need a bond - California requires a payment bond on public works contracts over $25,000.
If you build in California and want into public and commercial work, the jobs are not hidden - they are advertised in the open, and most of the sources are free. Here is where to look, who runs each one, and the bond you will need to actually win the work.
Before you bid in California: California requires every contractor and subcontractor to register with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) before bidding or working on public works - no registration, no bid. An annual registration fee applies. Register with DIR (SB 854)
Caltrans posts highway construction projects on its Contracting Opportunities Portal, searchable by district, county, and license. Caltrans does not generally require prequalification for standard highway contracts, though individual local agencies may require it on their own projects.
Start here: Caltrans (via the Caltrans Contracting Opportunities Portal) bidding.
State agencies, universities, and many other public bodies in California post their construction solicitations through Cal eProcure. You can browse opportunities there, and you will usually need to register to download documents or submit a bid.
Go to: Cal eProcure.
This is where most contractors should start. Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts build constantly and have to advertise it publicly. The jobs are smaller, the competition is thinner, and the bonding is more reachable for a growing company. Major California bid boards:
Weighing a paid platform to find leads faster? See our comparison of construction bid sites and plan rooms - free and paid.
Every open federal construction contract is posted on SAM.gov, and it is free to search and register. You need an active registration and a Unique Entity ID before you can bid. Federal jobs over $150,000 require performance and payment bonds under the Miller Act - see our Miller Act guide.
On California public works, a payment bond is required once the contract exceeds $25,000, set at 100% of the contract value (Civil Code section 9550 for cities, counties, and districts; Public Contract Code section 7103 for state agencies). Performance bonds are typically required by the awarding agency's bid documents, commonly also at 100% of contract value. (Cal. Civil Code § 9550 / Public Contract Code § 7103.) Below those points many jobs still require a bid bond just to submit. The bottom line: if you want public work in California, you have to be bondable.
That is where contractors lose jobs to competitors who are no better at the work - the other bidder could produce the bond and they could not. It is usually more reachable than contractors assume. If you are not sure where your bonding stands, start with what a surety bond is, see how contractors qualify, or read the full national guide on how to find construction work to bid on.
The Department of General Services certifies Small Business (SB), Small Business for Public Works, and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) firms. Confirm current eligibility with DGS before relying on it.
The work is out there. The bond is what lets you win it. Take the Grit Bond Scorecard to see where your bonding readiness stands and what to work on to grow your limits - or call our bond team and we will walk through it with you.
Call the Grit team: (801) 505-5500
Start with Caltrans (via the Caltrans Contracting Opportunities Portal) for highway and civil work, Cal eProcure for state agency projects, and your local city, county, and school district bid boards. For federal work, use SAM.gov. Most are free to search.
Caltrans posts highway construction projects on its Contracting Opportunities Portal, searchable by district, county, and license. Caltrans does not generally require prequalification for standard highway contracts, though individual local agencies may require it on their own projects. Requirements vary by agency and project, so confirm with the awarding authority before you bid.
California requires a payment bond on public works contracts over $25,000 (Cal. Civil Code § 9550 / Public Contract Code § 7103), and many jobs require a bid bond to submit. If you are not bonded yet, that is the first thing to solve - take the Bond Scorecard or call (801) 505-5500.
A note on the details: Bidding rules, registration steps, and bond thresholds change over time and vary by project and by awarding agency. Use this page as a starting map, not legal advice. Always review the specific requirements in each bid solicitation and confirm the current rules with the awarding authority before you bid.
This page is part of Grit's national guide on how to find construction work to bid on.